‘Shǒu zhū dài tù’ is a classical Chinese idiom originating from a fable in the Han Feizi. It tells of a farmer who, after a rabbit accidentally ran into a tree stump and died, abandoned his plowing to sit by the stump every day, waiting for another rabbit to appear. The four characters literally mean ‘guard (shǒu) the tree stump (zhū), wait (dài) for a rabbit (tù)’. Each character contributes directly to the vivid image of passive, unrealistic expectation.

This idiom is used metaphorically to criticize people who rely on luck or past chance occurrences instead of taking initiative or working diligently. It commonly appears in formal writing, speeches, and critiques of unproductive behavior — especially when someone repeats a strategy that succeeded once but lacks broader applicability. While rooted in an animal-related story, its modern usage is entirely figurative and carries a clear moral judgment about effort and rationality.